Forward Justin Brazeau is the latest Pittsburgh Penguin to fall victim to injury, but it opens up space for their newly acquired forward to make his team debut Sunday against the Boston Bruins
As has been the story for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins simply cannot catch a break on the injury front.
And they received more bad news on Sunday.
Ahead of their Sunday afternoon matchup against the Boston Bruins, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse announced that big forward Justin Brazeau is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not be available for the game.
Muse said the 6-foot-6, 232-pound winger is being evaluated and that newly acquired winger Elmer Soderblom will take his place in the lineup. The Penguins acquired Soderblom for a 2026 third-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings before the NHL trade deadline on Friday.
Brazeau, 28, has had a breakout year with the Penguins, as his 16 goals and 30 points in 48 games are both career-highs. He has been an integral part of their offensive attack as well as their power play, and with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin already out of the lineup, the Penguins are missing three of their top-five goal scorers so far this season.
Soderblom, 24, is a towering presence at 6-foot-8, 252 pounds, and Muse mentioned his speed relative to his size as well as his forechecking ability and two-way prowess as attributes that could help his team win hockey games. He will slot in on a third line with 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel and fellow rookie Avery Hayes.
He has just two goals and three points on the season and 11 goals and 22 points in 86 career NHL games.
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